'Cold' four final words before pilot flew plane into mountain killing all
A heart-rending documentary on the catastrophe of Germanwings Flight 9525 was released on Sky last month.
The passenger aircraft met with disaster over the French Alps on March 24, 2015, soon after setting off from Barcelona, Spain, en route to Dusseldorf in Germany, resulting in the loss of all 150 people aboard.
What was meant to be a regular trip for those on board turned tragic an hour into the flight when it crashed in the French Alps at 430mph. An immediate investigation, which included extracting data from the black box, disclosed that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally caused the crash.
The harrowing event prompted major changes to regulations concerning pilots being alone in the cockpit to prevent such a tragedy from reoccurring. Flight 9525 had a scheduled departure time of 10 am local time, with its final correspondence with air traffic control occurring 30 minutes later.
A critical moment took place when Captain Patrick Sondenheimer left the cockpit for the toilet, when Lubitz seized the opportunity to lock him out. The chilling final words captured by the cockpit voice recorder were Lubitz's to his captain: "You can go now."
Before leaving Lubitz in charge, Sondenheimer informed him he would handle the radio communications. Approximately 28 minutes into their journey, the sound of the cockpit door closing is audible, reports the Daily Record.
At this juncture, Lubitz altered Flight 9525's altitude from 38,000 feet to a mere 100 feet, initiating a descent into the mountains and disregarding communication attempts from air traffic control as the plane plummeted towards the ground.
The co-pilot maintained his silence for the remainder of the flight, while Sondenheimer can be heard pounding on the cockpit door in a desperate attempt to regain entry.
However, the captain's efforts proved futile as Lubitz had also bypassed the emergency access codes that would have allowed the flight crew to enter the cockpit.
This left him alone at the helm, with complete control over the aircraft. As Sondenheimer's desperation escalated, he can be heard shouting, 'open the damn door' whilst continuing his attempts to break down the door.
In the final moments captured on the recording, passengers' screams can be heard just before Flight 9525 crashes into the mountainside. This chilling sound suggests that many were oblivious to the impending disaster until the very last moment.
In the wake of the crash, it emerged that Lubitz had been battling severe depression and had shown signs of suicidal tendencies.
He had been deemed unfit to fly by his doctor, but this crucial information had been concealed from his employer.
Following the incident, there was increased discussion around medical confidentiality, leading to the implementation of new policies within the aviation industry to address pilot mental health.
A former girlfriend of Lubitz provided a haunting perspective on the pilot, recounting to a German paper his ominous words: "One day I will do something that will change the whole system, and then all will know my name and remember it. I never knew what he meant, but now it makes sense."
The family of Lubitz firmly dismissed the conclusive investigation regarding the crash's cause, contesting that it wasn't suicide. They suggested that instead of taking his own life, he had lost consciousness before Flight 9525 met its tragic end.
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Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Cold' four final words before pilot flew plane into mountain killing all
A heart-rending documentary on the catastrophe of Germanwings Flight 9525 was released on Sky last month. The passenger aircraft met with disaster over the French Alps on March 24, 2015, soon after setting off from Barcelona, Spain, en route to Dusseldorf in Germany, resulting in the loss of all 150 people aboard. What was meant to be a regular trip for those on board turned tragic an hour into the flight when it crashed in the French Alps at 430mph. An immediate investigation, which included extracting data from the black box, disclosed that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally caused the crash. The harrowing event prompted major changes to regulations concerning pilots being alone in the cockpit to prevent such a tragedy from reoccurring. Flight 9525 had a scheduled departure time of 10 am local time, with its final correspondence with air traffic control occurring 30 minutes later. A critical moment took place when Captain Patrick Sondenheimer left the cockpit for the toilet, when Lubitz seized the opportunity to lock him out. The chilling final words captured by the cockpit voice recorder were Lubitz's to his captain: "You can go now." Before leaving Lubitz in charge, Sondenheimer informed him he would handle the radio communications. Approximately 28 minutes into their journey, the sound of the cockpit door closing is audible, reports the Daily Record. At this juncture, Lubitz altered Flight 9525's altitude from 38,000 feet to a mere 100 feet, initiating a descent into the mountains and disregarding communication attempts from air traffic control as the plane plummeted towards the ground. The co-pilot maintained his silence for the remainder of the flight, while Sondenheimer can be heard pounding on the cockpit door in a desperate attempt to regain entry. However, the captain's efforts proved futile as Lubitz had also bypassed the emergency access codes that would have allowed the flight crew to enter the cockpit. This left him alone at the helm, with complete control over the aircraft. As Sondenheimer's desperation escalated, he can be heard shouting, 'open the damn door' whilst continuing his attempts to break down the door. In the final moments captured on the recording, passengers' screams can be heard just before Flight 9525 crashes into the mountainside. This chilling sound suggests that many were oblivious to the impending disaster until the very last moment. In the wake of the crash, it emerged that Lubitz had been battling severe depression and had shown signs of suicidal tendencies. He had been deemed unfit to fly by his doctor, but this crucial information had been concealed from his employer. Following the incident, there was increased discussion around medical confidentiality, leading to the implementation of new policies within the aviation industry to address pilot mental health. A former girlfriend of Lubitz provided a haunting perspective on the pilot, recounting to a German paper his ominous words: "One day I will do something that will change the whole system, and then all will know my name and remember it. I never knew what he meant, but now it makes sense." The family of Lubitz firmly dismissed the conclusive investigation regarding the crash's cause, contesting that it wasn't suicide. They suggested that instead of taking his own life, he had lost consciousness before Flight 9525 met its tragic end.
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Richard Collins: Baboons walk in line to be close to their friends
'Crossing the T' was a naval-warfare strategy. A commander would manoeuver his ships into a line at right angles to, and in front of, his opponent's. By doing so, he could deploy both his fore and aft guns, while his adversary could use only the forward ones. At the Battle of Jutland in May 1916, the British 'crossed' the German fleet twice, but the tactic failed in poor visibility. The British lost 6,093 sailors, the Germans lost 2,551. Eels, feeding on the corpses that autumn, were said to have grown as fat as human limbs. Sixteen years later, Captain Langsdorf scuttled the Graf Spee, just inside Uruguay's territorial waters, to avoid British cruisers waiting, in crossed T position, beyond the mouth of the River Plate. For wild creatures, moving in a particular order can be just as important. Migrating geese and swans travel in V-formation. The leading birds cut through the air, creating eddies which reduce the energy demands of those following. Elephants often travel in line, one behind the other; hungry big cats may be on the prowl, ready to attack a vulnerable member of the troop. By keeping strong individuals to front and rear, and the weaker ones in between, security is maximised. Musk-oxen, likewise, 'encircle the wagons' to protect their calves from marauding wolf-packs. So-called 'stoat funerals' are sometimes reported. These aggressive little carnivores are highly territorial, so the processions, if they really do occur, must be family-based in structure, a mother moving house, for example, with her youngsters trailing her. Baboons also walk in line, in what researchers call 'progressions'. But why these endearing African primates do so has been much debated. The 'risk hypothesis' suggests that, somehow, being in a line shields the vulnerable from predators. But how does it do so? Another suggestion is that dominant individuals are trying to 'seize the day', by installing themselves as leaders within the troop... the 'competition hypothesis'. Some studies suggested that, when forming processions, baboons follow Lady Macbeth's entreaty 'stand not upon the order of your going, but go at once'. Other researchers, however, maintained that the behaviour can't be random. There must, they suggested, be some underlying structure to a procession. They couldn't, however, suggest what it might be. Now, scientists from Swansea University have come up with a plausible explanation. The Swansea team fitted GPS tracking devices to members of a chacma baboon troop on South Africa's Cape Peninsula. Seventy-eight processions were recorded. The GPS data revealed an underlying order in what had appeared previously to be chaotic. Neither security nor feeding advantages seemed responsible for it. The key to the behaviour is family ties: a procession is not sequence of individuals but of groups. "Baboons show repeatability in their social order, which is best explained by patterns of social affiliation rather than adaptive responses to risk, access to resources, or decision making." As Vladimir says to Estragon in Waiting for Godot 'it's not what you do but the way you do it', that matters. This, it seems, is often the case also in the natural world.
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Award-winning museum brings the Lusitania story to life
The recent publication of 'The Story So Far: 10 Years of the Lusitania Museum and Old Head Signal Tower' celebrates a decade since the Old Head Signal Tower restoration has become an award-winning visitor attraction. Featuring photography and contributions from those involved, the book captures the journey so far, as well as looking confidently to the future. A decade on from the opening of this major tourist attraction built on the innovation and determination of the local voluntary community group, it also coincides with the 110th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Lusitania. The site represents the closest point of land to the final resting place of the iconic vessel, which was torpedoed by a German U-boat on May 7th 1915, with the loss of 1,201 lives. A stone in the Memorial Garden at the Old Head of Kinsale, Co Cork remembers those 1,198 people who perished on that day. Picture: David Creedon It was steaming from New York to Liverpool when the torpedo struck at 2 pm on that fateful day in May. There were 90 Irish men, women and children among the dead, including art collector Sir Hugh Lane, James McDermott, the ship's surgeon, and his assistant, Dr Joseph Garry, and the composer Thomas O'Brien Butler. Also on board was one of the richest men in North America at the time, Alfred Vanderbilt. The sinking was universally viewed as a heinous crime against non-combatants and was cited by many as a justification for America's subsequent joining of the military alliance against Germany in 1917. Opened in 2015, complete with Ireland's only restored Napoleonic signal tower, the museum tells the tragic tale of RMS Lusitania. Gregg Bemis, the American financier who acquired joint ownership of the sunken vessel in the 1960s, eventually bought it outright for one dollar. Having fought several legal battles to verify his ownership, Bemis, a former US Army Marine was fought in the Korean War, was determined to discover the cause of a second internal explosion on the ship which occurred just after the German torpedo hit and which is believed to have accelerated its sinking in just 18 minutes with such a devastating loss of life. In June 2004, Bemis made an unofficial visit to the wreck for a record-setting 287-foot dive. Aged 76, he trained for 18 months to prepare for his death-defying dive, having carefully researched the swiftly changing currents, the lack of visibility, the cold temperatures and the mixture of nitrogen, helium, and oxygen needed at that depth. 'Dammit, it's my boat, and I am going to go down and give it a big kiss,' he declared. 'It's beautiful down there. You're weightless, like the astronauts, so you move around in an environment that's very mystical and spooky. The only noise is the sound of your breathing. There was virtually no light, but the stuff down there is beautiful. Nearly everything there should be brought up and preserved. It was just beautiful, beautiful.' Bemis eventually signed over ownership of the wreck to the Old Head of Kinsale Lusitania Museum at a ceremony in 2019, saying: 'I've come to realise that, at almost 91 years old there is only so much more I can do to further this project and I think because of the Lusitania's part in history, it must be done properly and we get all the artefacts we can from the wreck to put in the museum planned for here.' He died in 2020. The Lusitania Memorial Garden tells the story of the ship's fatal journey, depicted in a 20-metre wave sculpture, including the names of every person on board — a permanent reminder of the catastrophic consequences of war on civilian lives. Keeping surviviors stories alive for future generations Manager Shannon Forde says the development of the museum is a great example of how a community can come together to preserve its heritage and share it with visitors from around the world. Shannon Forde, manager and resident historian in the memorial garden at the Lusitania Museum at the Signal Tower at The Old Head of Kinsale, Co Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins 'There were 1,201 souls lost that day when the Lusitania was sunk — ordinary people going about their business who suddenly found themselves involved in this historically important event. There are a lot of stories to tell, whether it's the descendants of passengers or crew, or the stories from locals who helped with the rescue efforts, there is always more to be discovered.' The museum is a popular place for school tours, and children are fascinated by the Lusitania story. After a recent re-enactment event by the Lord Edward's Own Reenactment Group, where participants dressed up as the red coats, the children were full of excitement and questions. 'Some of them knew everything about Napoleon and knew chapter and verse about that time in history. It's amazing how they retain information and will give you a new perspective with their questions.' Amongst the ever-growing numbers of visitors coming to the site, some have deeply emotional connections. 'A gentleman told us he was the grandson of a lady who had survived the sinking. It was his first time visiting and meeting other relatives.' Lusitania Museum & Old Head Signal Tower, Kinsale, Co Cork. Shannon explains that some of the Lusitania survivors had their names changed, making it hard to trace them: 'But every time you get to meet someone new and show them what we have here in honour of their family member, it is worth all the effort.' Such is the scope of history contained within the ancient structure, new stories are constantly coming to light through descendants of the tragedy, making the journey to where that fateful event happened. 'There is the history attached to the signal tower and the ship, and there's political relevance, wartime significance, and the human stories. It is so important to do justice to all of it.' Saved by thr twitch finger A visit by the granddaughter of a Lusitania survivor in 2022 unearthed a story as extraordinary as it was thrilling. Jackie McDougall Weiner travelled from her home in Oregon to visit the Lusitania Memorial Garden. On board the Lusitania on its fateful final voyage was Jackie's grandmother, Alice Middleton McDougall, who was dragged down with the suction of the sinking vessel after the German torpedo struck. Her body was eventually retrieved by rescue crews who, believing she was dead, took her body to the morgue in Cobh. In an amazing stroke of good fortune, a sharp-eyed doctor saw a slight finger twitch from the lifeless body, and immediately took emergency medical steps to save her life. Jackie made the decision to donate the money belt worn by her grandmother to the Lusitania Museum. 'Coming to Old Head at Kinsale for the 107th anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania and telling of my childhood memories listening to my grandma tell me her experience firsthand of that fateful day was a gift,' she said. 'Not only have I always been grateful because I would never have been born had she not survived, but I took that gift seriously and have tried to live a life that has made a difference to others.' As a child she learned about her grandmother being sucked down an open porthole and eventually returning to the surface, only to witness the screams of humanity all around her. 'She clung to a woman floating next to her as she was giving birth, and she described the dead children as looking like drowned dolls.' Captain of the Lusitania William Thomas Turner. Putting her fingers in her ears, trying to stop what she was hearing, she quickly went into a semi-coma and lost consciousness, only to reawaken under the hands of that quick-thinking doctor in Cobh. 'Facts of the tragedy are just that, facts. What has mattered to me is not whether there were munitions on the ship that exploded or whether it was coal dust that caused the second explosion, or any other theory. It has always been about humanity. Whether those souls perished or survived, each one experienced a terror that can only be imagined.' The prophetic words written by the remarkable lady whose life was saved by her twitching finger, Alice Middleton McDougal, linger long in the mind: 'So this is war dear people, Keep from it if you can, For with it we gain nothing, Tis just the greed of man.' 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